Leverage
by CWRT2900
Summary: A Season 5 finale revamp with a dramatic cliffhanger and what comes next.
1. Chapter 1

_**This is my take on how the season finale 5 should have ended and a season premiere episode. Don't look for Catherine for she won't be there, but Rachel will.  
**_

 _ **Since I didn't record the season finale episode I don't recall much of the dialogue that was exchanged between Steve and Danny in the chopper. So I picked up after the blast.**_

 _ **THIS IS NOT A DEATH FANFIC**_

"Woaw!" Danny exclaimed when the blast pounded in his ears.

Suddenly the helicopter's instrument panel began to blare out warnings. Steve attempted to stabilize the chopper by pulling on its lever but the damage had been done.

"Strap on Danno, we're going down."

Danny briefly prised his eyes to grab the seatbelt and buckled up, bracing himself for the impact. In a last-ditch effort, Steve toiled to realign the glide angle at a greater degree of deceleration to lessen the brunt of the crash. Then, a splash and the chopper broke into pieces.

On land, wedding guests witnessed the huge atomic blast mushroom rising in the air.

"What was that?" asked one of the guests.

Adam, Jerry and Max all looked at each other, concerned that it was Five-0 related after Kono called in with a last-minute emergency.

Adam got on his iPhone and dialed Kono's number. She reached into her pocket, glanced at the caller ID and answered. "I'm all right."

"What was it we just saw in the horizon?"

"An nuke that Steve and Danny dropped into the ocean. They were aboard Kamekona's helicopter."

"Are they ok?"

Kono looked to her right at Kamekona who was seen frantically redialing Danny's and Steve's numbers back and forth. Finally he resigned to the grim fact that their lines were dead. His arm holding his phone dropped to the side and he turned to Kono with a forlorn expression. He sighed and shook his head dejectedly.

"We don't know yet," she quavered, trying to sound reassuring.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Adam was getting restless. "Have you tried their phones?"

"We did. The lines are dead. No answer."

"Voicemail?"

"Nothing. We'll notified the Coast Guard. Perhaps they got caught in the blast and couldn't reach land. I'm sure they're ok."

"Who are you trying to convince here?" Kono's anguish was palpable in the ensuing silence. Adam sighed inwardly and cleared the emotional lump caught down his throat. "Ok so what now?"

"Let's wait a bit before telling the guests. It's obvious there won't be any wedding today regardless of the outcome. We'll need to postpone it."

"All right. I'll just let the guys in on it. You call me soon as you have news."

"I will. I love you," she quavered with tears in her eyes.

"I love you too, Kono. Keep safe." He pressed 'end' and closed his eyes in despair.

"Adam? What is it?" Lou asked, concerned by the man's drawn features. "Something happened?"

"That blast…it was Steve and Danny dropping a nuclear bomb into the ocean. Kono says they've been trying to reach them but there's no answer."

They all turned to the horizon where the mushroom was gradually dwindling. "You mean…they crashed?" Jerry surmised.

Then a Tsunami Warning siren rented the air.

"We got to go inland and fast. Tsunami warning," Chin alerted as he gathered all the guests.

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Giant waves crashed onto shore, flooding the wedding site but luckily, no killer harbor wave hit the island.

Later that afternoon, Steve and Danny's anguished friends had gathered at Five-0 headquarters where they anxiously awaited news on the Coast Guard search and rescue unit to report back.

Then, Kono's phone rang on the table. All eyes shifted to the device, bodies frozen, unable to move an inch as they sensed a foreboding. Kono sucked in a deep breath and answered. "Kono Kalakaua (…) yes, yes I understand (…). No let us. Five-0 will take care of it. Thank you." She held the phone in her hand, staring at it for a few seconds as though pressing 'end' would doom their two lost friends.

"Kono?" Adam asked softly, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Did they find them?"

She sniffed back a tear and shook her head. "They…they said that the helicopter went down and shattered on impact. They found debris floating but no sign of Steve or Danny or their bodies." She broke down in tears and fell into Adam's arms. "It can't be, Adam. It just can't be."

"Mom, why is aunt Kono crying?" Grace asked Rachel whose eyes were puffy red with tears. "Mom, you're crying too. Is it Danno?"

"Let's go outside, sweetheart, ok?"

As Adam held Kono, Lou and his wife, Jerry, Chin and Max all dispersed, each quietly retreating to seek a private spot to grief the lost of their two friends.


	2. Chapter 2

_**I sincerely apologize about the delay in bringing you this new chapter. My computer died on me and I had to go shop for a new one, configure it and transfer all of my files. Fortunately I haven't lost any documents, as I usually do two backups of everything. I'm back on track and will be posting a new chapter every weekend.**_

 _ **Thanks for your patience and for reading!**_

Somewhere on the island, a gruff-looking hoodlum picked up a burner phone and dialed .

"Hello," Gabriel answered.

"Yeah, it's Anders. Got som'thin' that might interest ya."

"What is it?" Gabriel asked slightly suspicious.

"Come and see fer yourself. I guarantee it'll be worth your while."

"Same place?"

"You got it. And don't tarry gettin' here or the merchandise'll rot. It's not lookin' good to begin with."

"What are you talking about?" Gabriel asked, confused.

"I'm returnin' a favor. Then we'll be even. Just get here."

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Five-0 members had converged to Steve's beach residence to do some cleaning after it was flooded by the huge waves pushed ashore by the blast

While others busied themselves cleaning, Kamekona sat in silence. Then out of the blue without warning he angrily pushed back his chair, the force of it knocking a nearby table upon which sat two empty beer bottles. The tremor knocked them down and they shattered onto the floor.

Startled, Chin hurried after the bulky bear. "Kamekona, where are you going?"

"To look for Navy and Jersey. I know they're out there somewhere."

"Kame, you heard what the Coast Guard said?" Chin tried to reason with the irrational man.

"The hell with 'em! I know they're alive. I can feel it, man," Kamekona insisted.

"All right, all right, calm down. Let's sit and talk about it."

"NO!" The big hulk ripped his arm out of Chin's grip. " Ain't no way I'm sittin' on my sorry butt. They ain't dead!" On that bark he headed out of the house, leaving a stunned room in his wake.

"He's right you know," Kono spoke up. "We should be out there looking for them. I mean we're talking Steve and Danny. If anyone can survive that blast…"

"They might not want us near the crash site and interfering in their investigation," Lou stated.

"We're Five-0. We have jurisdiction," Kono pointed out.

They all glanced at each other, gouging their reaction. When all nodded, they headed out determined to find their lost friends, dead or alive.

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Gabriel arrived at his destination, an abandoned storage that once housed a fish market. He eyeballed the area to spy any unwanted nosy bodies and then entered through the back door.

He arrived at a huge steel door and stopped. He looked to the right and then to the left. He gasped when he felt the cold barrel of a gun pressed against his neck.

"Good to see ya again, old friend."

Gabriel slowly turned around and came face to face with a sworn enemy. "Anders, I wish I could say the same. You said you had something worthwhile for me?"

Anders grinned wickedly. "I do. Come this way." He waved his gun to the left and Gabriel complied warily.

Anders opened the door to a dimlit back store. "Look over there," he nodded to the two battered lumps lying crookedly on the blood-tainted concrete floor, bloodied cuts and bruises marring their bodies.

"Where d' you find them?"

"Off shore, floating on a piece of wreckage. I happened to be afloat conducting heavy business when there was a blast, and a chopper went down. They were both in it. I scooped 'em out of the water and brought 'em here. As ya can see they ain't fairing too good."

"What's the damage?"

"Don't rightly know. I slapped on patches here and here to keep 'em from bleeding out. But from the looks of 'em I reckon they ain't gonna last long."

"What d'you want me to do with them?"

"Think, darn it! Use 'em to barter with Kelly."

"What good'll do? Once we ship them he'll back out the deal."

"We could ask Doc Fowler to rig them," Anders suggested with a hint of malice.

"Like the last guy?"

"Yeah and if Kelly don't hold his end of the bargain, you'll set 'em off. Right now reports of 'em deaths' splashed all over the net. You got leverage, man. Use it! Better decide fast or they'll croak."

"Why didn't you put them in the old freezer box? The door's made out of steel."

"Look at 'em! D'ya think they're in any shape to escape?"

"McGarrett's a former Navy SEAL."

"Of 'em two he's the one who's busted all over. He'll keel over within the hour."

Gabriel squatted down to assess the injuries of the two unconscious battered and bloodied men.

"It's my gift to ya. Just remember to keep off my grass from now on. Ya've got your business. I've got mine. If we stay in our own yards, our paths won't ever meet again."

"You sure you don't wanna throw in with me?"

"Nah. We tried it once remember?"

"Could be different this time around. Got more clout and contacts."

"Thanks but no thanks. Enjoy your gift."

"Thanks Anders."

"No sweat."

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

At Five-0 Headquarters, morale was low. Not a sound was heard as Kono, Chin and Lou remained in their respective offices, lost in their thoughts, waiting for any lead on their own covert investigation into their friends' disappearance. They dared not call it 'death' until all resources had been exhausted. They'd been summoned by Governor Denning to discuss the fate of the task force with McGarrett and Williams gone. None of them wanted to close shop and yet, they wondered how it could go on without their fearless leader and his sidekick. Steve and Danny WERE Hawaii 5-0.

So engrossed in their memories of their lost friends were they that they didn't hear Denning walk in the bull pen. He looked around at the mournful faces of his team and dithered whether he should interrupt their grief with his decision to put Five-0 on standdown until a replacement could be found for McGarrett.

Chin was brought out of his trance when in a sidelong glance he noticed Denning staring at him. He stood from his chair, dried his tears with his fingers and headed out to the bull pen.

"Governor Denning, how long have you been here?"

"I just got here. I saw you three deep in thoughts, I figured I should come back later. It certainly can wait."

"No, it's okay."

Soon Lou and Kono joined in, their eyes equally puffy red from crying.

"Sorry Governor," Kono sniffed. "It's just that…"

"You don't have to explain – I know. I just came to inform you that until a replacement can be found for McGarrett, I'm putting Five-0 on hiatus. I've spoken with Duke Lukela and he assured me that his unit would do his best to take on the workload. You people need some time off. I can't ask you to go about the business as though nothing happened."

"Take you Governor," Chin acknowledged. "That's very considerate of you."

"We can discuss the funerals tomorrow. We're making arrangements for..."

Chin's iPhone ringtone interrupted the conversation. He glanced at the Caller ID and frowned. It was marked 'unlisted'. "Chin Ho Kelly."

"Remember me?" taunted the voice on the other end.

Chin excused himself from the group and headed to his office where he closed the door. "Gabriel, what do you want?"

"Rather I've got something that you desperately want back:McGarrett and Williams."

Chin shrunk back; his heart pounding loudly against his chest. He glanced at Lou, Kono and Denning staring at him quizzically through the glass. "What are you talking about?"

"News say they're dead but I happen to know they're not. In fact I'm staring at them right now. They're not looking too good though."

"Let me speak to them?"

"Can't. They're out cold and may not come to if they don't get patched up properly."

"You're lying."

"I'm not, Kelly. A contact of mine happened to be afloat when their chopper went down. He fished them out of the water and brought them to me."

"What do you want?"

"Your promise to get out of my hair for good." Silence. "You want them back, don't you?"

"How can I believe you?"

"Hold on a sec." Gabriel adjusted his phone to take a picture of the dying men on the floor. "I'm sending you the proof."

Chin's heart leapt to his throat at the ghastly sight. "Ok, I'll do it," he swallowed hard. "I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt them."

"The crash already did that, Kelly. They're hanging on by a thread."

"Where should I meet you?"

"You come alone; no cops, no cousin, no EMTs, no one but you. Once I have your signature on a contract, one I intend to use against you if you so much reneg, I'll release them."

"All right. I'll do as you say."

"Good. I'll be in touch with you in fifteen minutes. Make sure you're alone when you jog down the directions. If I so much smell a trap, I'll kill them both. You understand?"

"Yes."

The line cut abruptly. Chin took a few seconds to collect himself before exiting his office.

"Chin, what is it? What's wrong?" Kono asked, sensing his cousin's anxiety.

"A friend of mine is in big trouble."

"Who?" Kono asked.

"It's no one you know." Then quickly to Denning, "Could you hold off on that funeral until I get back?"

Puzzled, Denning replied, "Sure. How long?"

"Just a few days; two, three at the most."

"All right. You'll let me know?"

"Sure thing."

"Chin, where are you going?"

Chin pulled his cousin aside. "It's better you don't know."

"It's dangerous, is it? Chin I need to know where you'll be in case something happens and…"

"Nothing's going to happen, 'cuz. I'm just going to meet with him and see how we can go about solving his problem. Believe me I'm not in any danger."

"I don't believe you."

Chin flashed Kono a reassuring smile that belied his true emotions. He placed both hands on the side of her head and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back in a few days."

She watched Chin walked out of the bull pen. Lou stepped up to her. "What did he say?"

"That he'll be back in a few days. Lou I have a bad feeling about this."

"Did he tell you who the friend was?"

"No and that's what scares me."

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

He awoke to a world of agonizing pain. His entire body ached and felt as though the slightest movement would tear him apart. He prised his eyes open and attempted to adjust focus on his surroundings. He blinked repeatedly to clear the fog but to no avail. His vision remained blurred and his eyes burned. He closed them, waited a few seconds and reopened them with the same results. Thankfully there was no harsh light to assault his retina. The room was dimlit with two light bulbs overhead that provided enough light to tell him he wasn't in a hospital where he should be.

He dared not move and assess his injuries, suspecting they were in the dozens judging from the pangs and twinges radiating throughout his battered body. He slowly and painfully turned his head to the right with a hiss. Try as he did, his fuzzy vision would not allow him to focus on the lump lying next to him. He squinted and blinked, squeezing his eyes shut to squeeze out the aqueous humour. When he opened them, his heart caught in his throat.

"St…Steve," Danny managed to croak out. He swallowed dryly and tried again to wake his partner. "Steve. Hey, come on, wake up. Don't leave me here alone."

With a loud grunt he rolled onto his side and reached a hand on Steve's neck to feel for a pulse. "Thank God," he breathed out, getting a feeble, fleeting pulse underneath his fingers.

Then suddenly his breath itched in fear of what he would find next. Danny placed his hand above Steve's nose and mouth. There was barely a breath. What little air he felt was accompanied by a rattling noise in the back of Steve's throat. Danny knew that sound; it was the onset of pneumonia. Steve's lungs were filling up with fluid, whether blood or mucus, and if he didn't get help soon, he would drown in it.

Danny searched around for a blanket, quilt, cloth, anything that he could use to cover his dying partner to warm him up, but the damp room provided little comfort, other than the bulbs hanging from the ceiling. All he could do was move closer to Steve and wrap an arm around his torso.

A sense of doom and gloom evaded him, pushing him to just forfeit the fight before it already begun. He recalled very little of the chopper crash, but enough to know that they were both in bad shape and would not make it out alive without medical help, which obviously wasn't what their captors, whoever they were, had in mind.

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

It was some time later when Danny awoke to the sound of a door creaking open. He cracked his eyes open to see two blurred figures walking his way. One crouched down next to Steve and Danny instinctively tightened his hold around his partner to prevent that stranger from touching him.

"It might be hard given their conditions but I'll do my best." One man said to the other behind him. He put his medical bag down on the floor, pulled it open and started rummaging in it.

"Got the trigger word?" The other man asked.

"Yeah, I got it. They will respond to the sound of my voice and yours only. That way even if anyone should utter the code, they won't react. I should be done within the hour, depending on how they respond."

The voices were distorted and muffled in his addled brain. He tried to focus on the two figures but could not establish a clear picture. Instead he just reached out to the man next to Steve and begged in a low voice. "Help."

The man clasped his hand and answered reassuringly. "Don't worry. It'll all be over soon."

Danny had no idea what it meant. Was he a doctor or an enemy coming to inject them a lethal dose that would put an end to their agony? Either way Danny was too weak to care at this point and instead, resigned to whatever faith they had in store for them.


	3. Chapter 3

Chin drove straight to the secret location given by Gabriel. On the drive he picked up his iPhone, dithering whether or not he should at least inform Lou on where he was going but decided not to jeopardize his friends' lives already hanging by a thread.

He arrived at the quaint house. He parked his truck across the street, gave a quick survey of the area before proceeding to the front door. Before he could knock, the door opened by itself and a voice bade him enter.

Cautiously, he stepped inside. Gabriel quickly closed the door behind him.

"Where are Steve and Danny?" Chin asked with a visceral concern.

"No so fast. I wanna make sure you weren't followed first."

"I assure you I wasn't. I told no one."

"Your word means nothing to me. We'll wait a few minutes and then I'll take you to McGarrett and Williams."

"How are they?"

"Not good. They're fading fast but you might just be in time to save them." Gabriel grabbed a piece of paper and placed it on a table next to a pen. "Now you sit there and read that contract. I want you to sign it. That way if at any time you rescind our agreement I'll use it against you and they'll strip you of your badge and throw you in the slammer for good."

Chin threw Gabriel a withering glare before following instructions. He knew Gabriel had him over a barrel and in order to get to Steve and Danny he needed to play along, even if it went against his innermost principles. He could not be associated with a criminal and that contract staring at him stipulated just that.

Against his better judgement he signed on the dotted line and handed it back to Gabriel. "There, I signed it. Now take me to Steve and Danny."

"Hand me your phone."

Chin complied reluctantly. Gabriel let it fall onto the floor and crushed it with his heel. "Now let's go."

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Rachel stood on the beach of Steve's backyard looking at the sun setting in the horizon. Tiny waves brushed at her feet, the sound drowning some of the deafening grief that was consuming her. She turned to her right to see the two lounge chairs that Steve and Danny would often share over a beer and a friendly bantering. She closed her eyes and smiled as she could almost hear them talking. She turned back to the sea that was their final resting place, drawing some comfort that they were both together.

Kono's hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her reverie. "You're all right?"

"I was thinking of Steve and Danny." Kono wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I'm grateful for one thing; that they were together when they crashed. I pray they didn't suffer and died on impact."

"According to the Coast Guard, the helicopter broke apart when it hit the water. The force of the bomb blast might have killed them both before they went down. But we're still looking. There's still hope, however dim it is, we'll keep pushing."

"Where are Grace and Charlie?"

"I put Charlie down for a nap and Grace cried herself to sleep. She was drained."

"She took it hard the poor dear. I didn't know how to break the news to her."

"There was no easy way to do it, but she had to know."

Rachel nodded. "What now?"

"Lou and Kame and leaving no stones unturned to try to locate them. In the meantime Governor Denning is proceeding with the arrangements for Steve and Danny's funeral. Although he was not Navy or Army, he's agreed to perform the same military ceremony for Danny since he'd been Steve's partner for nearly five years. Their tombstones will be erected side by side."

"I believe they both would have wanted that way. They were like brothers."

Both women stared out to sea, with a small breeze softly blowing their hair. "We'll be all right, Rachel. I promise we'll get through this."

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Chin kept an eye on the road, surveying buildings and roads as Gabriel drove along to their destination.

"How much farther?" Chin asked.

Gabriel didn't acknowledge and kept his eyes on the road, undisturbed, knowing full well Chin wasn't about to try anything foolish. Minutes later he parked alongside a curb and stopped the car. "Get out. We walk the rest of the way."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll know when we get there."

They arrived at the old fish market a few yards down the road. Gabriel opened the door. "After you." Chin shot Gabriel a wary look before entering the abandoned warehouse.

Gabriel pulled out his gun and trained it on Chin. "You walk in front. Straight ahead." Chin did as instructed until Gabriel ordered him to stop. He opened the door to a small storage room and closed the door behind him.

"Look to your right, on the floor."

Chin squinted to adjust his focus on the dimlit surroundings. Suddenly his eyes bulged out of his sockets, as he took sight of the two forms lying on the floor. "Oh my God," Chin quavered. He dashed over to Steve and Danny and dove to his knees next to his friends' battered bodies, tears pooling in his eyes at the horrific sight before him.

"A doctor looked at them and patched some of the wounds to keep them from bleeding out."

"My God, why didn't you get them to a hospital?" Chin raged out.

"You'll do it."

"It might be too late."

"For McGarrett, maybe. He's got that death rattle, but Williams might make it."

"What kind of beast are you?"

"The kind who wants to make sure that Chin Ho Kelly won't be a nuisance anymore."

"I swear to God if they die, I'll hunt you down with my last breath, contract or not, I'll kill ya!" Chin blared out with dark seething eyes shooting daggers at Gabriel..

"Assuming they survive, they're still my insurance that you'll do as I say." Chin frowned quizzically. "You see these two are rigged to do some serious damage on the island.". "One word from me or my trusted cohort and McGarrett and Williams will go on a killing rampage, starting with you and your pretty cousin. They'll spare no one. Remember the Nash episode? It'll be twice as horrific."

Chin jumped to his feet and lunged at Gabriel. "You sonuvabitch!"

Before Chin could grip Gabriel's neck, the man rammed his fist into his stomach. Chin doubled over and coughed. "You're not helping their cases, Lieutenant. Once I'm outta here and far enough from this place, I'll call the EMTs to come and get ya." He walked to the door.

"How do I...how do I know you're not just...just gonna leave us out here?"

Gabriel flashed Chin a sneer. "You don't." On that icy tone, he was out the door, shortly followed by a click sound.

Chin lunged at the door and stewed in his own juice as he tried to open it. He searched around frantically for any escape hatch but didn't find any. A small moan interrupted his train of thoughts.

"Danny!" Chin exclaimed. He hurried to Danny's side and gently took hold of his wrist. "Danny, can you hear me?" Danny reflexively yanked his arm out of Chin's grasp. "Danny, it's me Chin. It's okay buddy. I'm here. I'm gonna get you out."

"Ch…Chin?" Danny breathed out, trying to make focus. "Is.. th...that you?"

"Yeah Danny. I'm here." Chin gave a reassuring smile. "I'm here."

"St…Steve?"

Chin glanced at the SEAL and winced. "He's still alive, Danny. He's hanging on. Ambulance's on its way. You just take is easy, all right? Lie still. Want some water?" Upon Danny's nod Chin got up and reached for the bottle of water on the table. He twisted the cap open and put the nozzle to Danny's lips. "I can only give you sips. You might have internal injuries." Chin dosed the amount of liquid that Danny eagerly wanted to drink. "Not too much, Danny."

"Steve. Gi…give some to Ste…Steve."

"I don't think he can swallow but I will wet his lips with some." As Chin prepared to trickle a few drops of water down Steve's mouth, he froze in horror. "Oh no."

"What? Wh...what is it?"

"Danny," Chin swallowed hard, "he stopped breathing."


	4. Chapter 4

"Do…do som'thin'…" Danny panted hysterically, trying hard to raise himself up.

"You stay down, Danny," Chin ordered. "I'll handle it."

Chin pinched Steve's nose and gave him mouth to mouth. Once, twice and then on the third blow, Steve coughed out phlegm mixed with blood and his lungs rattled as he gasped in a deep breath. He wheezed and coughed some more, choking and gasping. Chin gently rolled him on his side and rubbed his back as he expelled some of the mucus stuck down his throat.

"Is he…he awake?" Danny asked, concerned.

Chin slanted his head to check Steve's eyes. "I don't think so. His eyes are closed."

Danny made one last-ditch effort to heave himself into a sitting position. He cried out in pain.

"Danny, stay down! What's wrong?"

"My leg's busted," Danny coughed and sucked in a painful breath.

"Take it easy, Danny. Take it easy. We'll be out of here soon."

"Ho…how d'you know that?"

"Gabriel has what he wanted."

"What?"

"It's nothing for you to be concerned. Just focus on keeping your strength and don't move! Want some more water?" Danny nodded and Chin obliged.

As Danny started choking, Chin slipped a hand in his back and elevated his upper body. "Easy now. Breathe slowly." Once the crisis passed, Chin gently lowered Danny onto the floor. He reached for a rag that he balled up into a makeshift pillow.

Danny reached an arm out to Chin. He clasps his hand. "What is it, Danny?"

"If...if I don't make it..."

"Don't wanna hear none of that," Chin abruptly interrupted.

Danny tugged at Chin's hand to get his attention. "Please hear me out. Charl...Charlie is my son."

"What?"

"Rach...Rachel told me cause...cause he's very sick and...needs my bone marrow."

"Reason why you must hang on. That little boy needs you."

"My bone marrow is still good ev...even if I'm dead. If they harvest me for parts, make s..sure my bone marrow goes to my son."

"Danny I…"

"Please swear," Danny coughed out.

Chin hung his head as tears rushed to his eyes. "I promise. But that boy needs you alive. You can't deny him or Grace a father. So you stick around, you hear?"

A small curl found its way to Danny's lips. Eyes locked in a mutual fondness, although Chin could perceive a hint of surrender in his friend's bleary eyes, which chilled him to the bone.

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Sometime later, while Danny was nodding on and off Chin was busy sponging off Steve's feverish brow. The rasping in his lungs had worsened to the point where he could hardly suck in a breath. He was weak, ashen, his lips faintly tinged with blue.

"Damn, where's that ambulance?" Chin muttered under his breath as he continued his ministrations. He looked over Steve's shoulder and noticed that Danny was shivering. He stood and went over to the other side where he knelt beside him and began rubbing his arms.

"I'm…I'm so co…cold," Danny quavered. "How's St…Steve?"

"He's hanging on."

"Help's not coming, is it?" Danny asked with a doomed expression.

"Danny, it's only been thirty minutes," Chin said, sounding reassuring but his hidden fear reared up its head when Danny started hacking his lungs out. He was at his wits' end as to how to keep his two friends from sinking any deeper.

"I can't…can't hold on anymore," Danny lamented as he struggled to draw a breath.

"Yes you can and you will!" Chin spurred on while rubbing his arm.

Suddenly banging noise came from outside. Chin stood and went to the door. "We're in here!" he shouted, banging on the door.

"Clear the way. We're coming in," came the muffled voice from the other side.

As axes chopped away at the thick wooden door Chin went back to Steve and Danny. "Guys, help is here. Danny can you hear me? Help is…" Chin faltered as he realized with dread that both men had stopped breathing. "Oh no, guys don't do this now. Help is here. Come on, breathe!"

Finally the door came crashing down. Two paramedics made their way in followed by Kono, Lou and Kamekona.

"Thank God you're here," Chin sighed with relief as he vacated his spot to let the EMTs work on Steve and Danny. "They both stopped breathing."

"How long ago?" queried the head medic.

"About a minute. They both have a rattle in their lungs, probably pneumonia."

"Yeah looks like it," the medic concurred. He then turned to his assistant. "I'll tube this one. You handle the other one."

They set to work while Chin went over to Kono. "How did you find us?"

"I got an unlisted call. The man told us where to find you. I didn't believe him at first but when he said he'd call you earlier, I didn't want to take any chances."

"Does anyone else know about Steve and Danny?"

"I told Lou and Kame only. I didn't want to give the others false hope just in case."

Chin walked over to the EMTs. "Are they going to make it?"

"It's hard to say. They have extensive injuries and the pneumonia isn't helping their odds. Pulses and heart rates are through the roof. Sooner we get them to Queen's the better." He addressed his assistant. "Is he stable enough for transport?"

"Not really."

"Well we can't wait. We'll have to risk it." He then turned to group. "Can you bring in the stretchers?"

Lou and Kame stepped outside the room and came back with portable stretchers that they set down beside Steve and Danny. Upon the EMTs' instructions they assisted in rolling Steve and Danny onto them.

"What's the pulse ox?" The head medic asked his assistant as he strapped both men to the backboards.

"88 and 82 and both dropping."

"Alright, let's go!"

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Chin, Kono, Rachel, Kamekona and Lou were wracked with worry as they waited for news on Steve and Danny's conditions. Both were rushed to surgery to mend the wounds and drain their lungs.

"I'm going to get some more coffee. Anyone want a refill?" Chin asked.

All shook their heads.

"Wait!" Rachel hailed as she stood from her chair. "I'll come with you."

They started walking toward the coffee dispenser.

"How you're holding up?"

"As well as everyone else I guess," she replied tiredly.

"Did you tell Grace about Danny?"

"No. She already lost her father once; I wouldn't want her to lose him again if…"

"I understand. Danny's a tough cuss. He and Steve don't give up easily," he reassured as he handed her a cupful of coffee.

"I know. It's a miracle they survived but what I don't understand is why someone could be so cruel as to allow them to suffer needlessly without medical attention for so long."

"Yeah, I know." Chin hung his head, reluctant to expound on what transpired between he and Gabriel.

"Who was he Chin?"

"I don't know, Rachel," he lied convincingly.

"But you were there?"

"He stood in the shadows. I didn't see his face and he never said his name."

"But he called you. So he must have known you?"

Rachel's probing grew to such an accusatory tone that Chin came within a hair-breadth's to revealing the truth that he's kept hidden from everyone concerned, but luckily the surgeon saved him from that dreaded revelation.

"Family of Danny Williams and Steve McGarrett?"

The anxious group congregated around the man in scrubs. Chin made the introduction and spoke first. "What's the word, Doctor?"

"Why don't we all sit down," Doctor Quinlan said forlornly, waving toward the waiting room.

"I for one want to stand," Lou stated firmly.

"It's bad, isn't it?" Rachel anticipated the prognosis from the surgeon's gloomy expression.

"Yes. It is," he blurted out without mincing words. Faces fell at the news. "We have them both in ICU on a twenty-four-hour watch. We did everything medically possible to mend the damage. Right now their immune systems are depleted; therefore making it difficult to fight off infections. We are giving them broad spectrum antibiotics and electrolytes to help spur the production of antibodies. At the moment our biggest concern are their lung infections. We placed them on ventilators to help them breathe easier."

"Is that really necessary? I heard it can make it worse." Rachel stated.

"For bacterial infections, indeed you're correct, but right now they are in dire need of them. Their conditions are critical but stable. If they can survive the next twenty-four hours, the odds will greatly improve in their favor. If they'd been brought in shortly after the crash within what we call the Golden Hour, the call would be fifty-fifty; whereas now it's seventy-five/twenty-five against "

"May we see them?" Kono asked.

"Only one visitor at the time for five minutes. You'll need to wear a mask and cap to prevent the spread of germs."

"Rachel, you go see Danny," Chin suggested. "Kono, perhaps you'd like to go visit with Steve?"

Kono turned to Kamekona. "I think Kame wants to go see the boss, don't you big guy?"

"If you don't mind? Wanna tell him what a sacrifice him and Jersey did for us all and not to fret about the chopper."

Chin smiled and placed a hand on the bulky man's broad shoulder. "I'm sure he'd like to hear that. You go on now. Tell him we're rooting for him."

"Will do."

While Kamekona and Rachel followed Doctor Quinlan to the ICU, Kono pulled Chin aside and stared him in the white of the eyes. "Alright, out with it, Chin," she threatened with a steely glare. "Who was that alleged friend that called you earlier?"


	5. Chapter 5

"Kono, this is not the time or the place," Chin said with a hint of annoyance.

"Chin, I'm your cousin. It's obvious your 'friend'," she emphasized with crushing sarcasm, "was the one who took you to Steve and Danny, and am I wrong to suspect he was the same man who led me to you?" Chin looked away, ill-at-ease. "LOOK AT ME!"

"Can we discuss this later?" Chin said icily.

"Chin please. Why didn't he take Steve and Danny straight to the hospital? Chin, please tell me. What's going on?" Kono kept harassing until the bubble burst.

"Alright! it was Gabriel."

"Malia's brother." Chin nodded. "My God, why?"

"He used Steve and Danny as leverage against something he wanted from me; said he was going to let us go if I signed the agreement."

"What agreement?" Again Chin looked away but Kono grabbed him firmly by the shoulders and forced him to look at her. "Chin, what agreement?"

"He huh…well I threatened him that I would go to any length to dismantle his business, so he…he compelled me to sign a contract stipulating that…"

"Chin please, you can trust me."

"The contract says that I agree to play a part in his operation and we all know what that is. That even if Steve and Danny made it, if I so much revoked the contract one way or the other, that he would use it to destroy me."

"I can't believe he's Malia's brother," she said with disgust.

"But that's not the worst part. The contract itself is null and void as I can prove that I was coerced to sign it. You see I signed Chin Kelly and not Chin Ho Kelly."

"Good thinking. What's the worst part?"

"You remember Jason Nash, the guy who suddenly went on a killing rampage for no reason at all?" Kono nodded. "Steve and Danny have been engineered to respond to a code word that will trigger them to act the same way." Kono's eyes widened in shock. "And until we can figure out what that word is to switch them off, we have to tread lightly."

Kamekona returned to Chin and Kono looking as though the woe of the world was crashing down on him. He shook his head dejectedly. "He looks awful."

Chin placed a hand on his broad shoulder. "He's going through hell right now but you know Steve…"

"Yeah. Navy's tough but…"

"Not buts. He and Danny are going to get through this. We found them in time."

"What were you doing locked in with them in the first place?"

Kono threw Chin a daring look, which he didn't bother acknowledging. "It's…it's a long story, Kame. Let's just be thankful that they are alive and getting the best medical care."

"Come on, Big Guy," Lou said as he wrapped his arm around Kamekona's shoulders, "I'll treat you to a beer." He then turned to Chin and Kono. "You guys wanna join us?"

"In a little while. Just want to check in with Steve and Danny first," Kono said. Once Lou and Kamekona were out of earshot, she turned to Chin. "I'll go see Steve now."

Chin nodded and clasped her into a hug. "They'll be ok."

Chin watched her cousin walk down the hallway to ICU. He remained behind, lost in his thoughts. He sucked in a deep breath before heading to Danny's room.

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

The whooshing sound of a respirator assailed him as he stepped into the room. There, by Danny's bed, stood Rachel, holding his hand. He padded up to her.

"Rachel," he whispered so not to startle her. She turned to him in tears and fell into his arms. "It's ok. Shuuuu it's ok."

"I should be…I should be thankful that he and Steve are alive but I," she hiccuped between sobs. "Oh my God, what if…"

"Hey, don't think it. He's going to be ok and so will Steve. You have to stay positive. They survived a horrendous crash and are still alive. That in itself tells us they're not ready to throw in the towel yet."

"You're right," she sniveled. "Would you like a few minutes with him?"

"If you don't mind?"

"Of course. I'll be in the waiting room. I asked the nurse if I could stay here tonight and she said she would speak to the doctor about it."

" I'm sure Kono wouldn't mind watching the kids for you. She's visiting with Steve now."

"I'll ask her. Thank you." One last hug and she was out the door, leaving Chin in her wake.

Once alone in the room he turned to his unconscious friend lying deathly still with the mask of death on his face. He pulled down the bedrail and watched the chest rise and fall; his own breathing in synch with the rhythm of the respirator.

"Danny, it's Chin. I don't know if you can hear me but know that we're all pulling for you and Steve. I won't go back on the promise I made but don't use it as a reason to give up. You've got to fight. For Rachel, Grace and that little boy who needs you. We a… we all need you," he quavered as emotions began to overwhelm him. "We're Ohana." He clasped Danny's limp hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We're here for you."

Once his time was up, Chin made his way out of the room and sat against the wall, prostrate. He closed his eyes and buried his head in his hands, striving not to burst apart. A friendly arm came to wrap itself around his shoulders. "How's Steve?"

"What do you think?"

"God," he sighed dejectedly. "When the coast guard first told us that they'd died in that crash I felt as though someone had drained me of all my blood. I just hadn't realized the impact those two had on me. It was as if I'd lost my two brothers.

"I felt the same way."

"Then when I got Gabriel's call I wanted to hug him for saving them. But then when I saw Steve and Danny… barely alive…lying in their blood on that filthy, cold floor…," his voice faltered as tears brimmed over in his eyes, "I wanted to rip him apart. He used them to get to me. And because of it, we might lose them for sure."

Kono tightened her hold on Chin's shoulders. "Hey, you said it yourself, we're talking about Steve and Danny. They've taken the hard road before and always managed to find their way out. They will again."

"I told Gabriel that if they died, I would hunt him down and kill him."

"Get in line, cuz." She smiled and gave his shoulder a light squeeze. "Why don't you go see him."

"Yeah."

Chin stood and ran both hands across his face to wipe some of the tears that'd made their way down his cheeks.

"We'll wait for you in the waiting room."

Both cousins hug before Chin made his way down to Steve's room.

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

A good three days cascaded down with Steve remaining in a critical condition. As for Danny he was showing signs of improvement, albeit small but significantly encouraging and for that reason, he was moved into a regular room where friends and family could keep a twenty-four-hour vigil.

It was early morning and Chin had dozed off in an arm chair by Danny's bed. Kono had been discussing Steve's grim prognosis with the doctor when she padded up to her cousin and tugged at his shoulder.

"What?" Chin asked dazedly.

"Why don't you go home and catch some decent sleep? I'll sit with him."

"No. no I'm all right."

"At least lie down on the couch. You've been here all night." She glanced at Danny who lay sleeping with a nasal cannula and bandages on his chest. "The doctor said it could be awhile before he wakes up."

"I know," he said, wiping the remnants of sleep from his eyes. "Have you dropped by ICU?"

"I have," she said bleakly. "I spoke with Doctor Quinlan about Steve's odds." She took a pause and drew in a deep shuddering breath. "He's not optimistic. Said the longer he remains in a coma, the least likely he is too come out of it or if he does, there could be permanent brain damage."

Chin shook his head dismally. "It's been three days, Kono, and still no significant progress."

"He needs time," she said with a misplaced confidence. "Kamekona was in the room when I came in earlier." She smiled as she recalled the scene. "He was telling him about his new recipe for cinnamon shrimps." Chin cringed. "Yeah just like that. Steve must have made the same face inwardly."

"Or made him sick to his stomach."

"I wish. At least he would have moved. But there was no reaction. I'd never seen Kame so devastated before."

"We all are." He hauled himself out of the chair and cracked his back to remove the stiffness. "I'll go get some coffee. You want some?"

"Oh my God, Chin. Look!" she motioned toward the bed where two watery eyes stared at them.

"Danny," Chin exulted. "Danny, can you hear me?"

Brows knitted, whether in confusion or in pain but there he was, staring at them.

"Danny, it's Chin and Kono. Do you recognize us?" Danny closed his eyes heavily and gave a feeble nod. A loud sigh of relief filled the room. "Can you talk?"

Danny's eyes dazedly roamed around the room and with a puzzled frown asked, "Where…?"

"You're in a hospital, you and Steve."

Eyes widened at the name. "St…Steve? Where is…?"

"He's in another room. He's fine," Chin said affectedly. "He's resting."

"Got…got to see him," Danny mumbled as he attempted to raise himself but the pain made him think twice.

"Danny, you can't right now. We'll keep you posted on his condition."

Danny threw Chin a scowl. "He's ok; you're not shielding me here?"

Chin glanced up at Kono and the expression that passed between them was enough to push Danny's panic button. "Take me to him, Chin. Use that wheelchair over there," he motioned to the chair in the corner.

"Your doctor says you may talk but not walk…just yet."

"My leg," Danny hissed,

"It was broken in three places, but Doctor Quinlan's confident you'll walk on it fine in a few months."

"Months?"

"Hey you're lucky to even be alive. That leg is the least of your problems. You had pneumonia but it wasn't as bad as Steve's. Internal bleeding due to a ruptured spleen and countless other injuries; therefore it's imperative for you to stay put."

Danny sank his head into his pillow and sighed. "You said Steve was worse than me."

"Yeah," Chin breathed out dolefully. "But he's hanging on. He's still with us."

"What about the others?"

"Rachel has been in to see you in the last three days that you've been here. She wouldn't allow Grace to visit you cause of all those machines. It might have traumatized her."

"She made the right call." He cringed and began coughing and quickly raised his hand before Chin could hit the nurse button. "It's ok," he coughed. "Just remnants. I can breathe easier now. " He allowed the coughing fit to pass before turning to the worrywarts standing next to the bed. "You know I don't remember much of what happened; just being in an helicopter with Steve and…and we went down. " Chin nodded. "Then I woke up in a dark room with Steve next to me. I remember you were there with some other guy; couldn't see his face."

"It's good that you can recall all those details because we will need you to tell us everything that went on in that room before I came. Danny," Chin started earnestly, leaning closer to him. "Do you recall anyone who tried to hypnotize you?"

"Hypnotize us?"

"It's crucial Danny."

"Why?"

"The guy who told us where to find you and Steve said…"

At that moment they saw a crash cart whizzing by in the corridor. Kono went out to see where it was headed.

"My God, they're going to Steve's room!"


	6. Chapter 6

Before Chin and Kono realized it, Danny was hoisting himself up in his bed.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Chin chided as he strode up to the bed to stop Danny from getting out of bed.

"I got… I got to go to him," Danny hissed, trying hard to ignore the pain.

"NO! You stay put." Chin turned to Kono while keeping pressure on Danny's shoulders to keep him steady. "Kono go see what's going on with Steve. I'll stay with Danny to make sure he behaves."

She nodded and breezed out of the room.

"Danny, for goodness sake, lie down!" Chin barked. The effort depleted what little energy Danny had and unwillingly complied with Chin's order. "That's better."

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"I'm sorry, you'll need to wait outside," ordered a nurse at the entrance of Steve's room.

Kono craned her neck to get a peek at the doctor and nurses buzzing around Steve's bed. "What's going on?"

"He coded. Doctor Quinlan is trying to shock his heart back."

Kono stood watching the crash team working on Steve, his body jarring with every shock of the defibrillator and ripping a piece of her own heart along with it. She held her breath until the fifth shock.

"We got him back," a spent Doctor Quinlan announced to his team.

Kono dropped her back against the wall and closed her eyes, silently thanking the heavens above. Tears flew freely from her eyes as she tried hard to regulate her own breathing.

Minutes later, Doctor Quinlan emerged from the room. She silently stared at him, his eyes saying more than what she wanted to hear. "What now?"

"There's still some brain activity so I wouldn't count him out just yet."

"We're not," Kono replied with a renewed confidence.

"He's a mighty strong man, I'll give him that. Stubborn too. Won't go down without a fight. If it'd been anyone else…"

She smiled with relief at the doctor's uplifting words. "Thank you, Doctor. Thank you for not giving up on him."

"Well looks like he won't let me," he said in a jest before turning earnest. "However bear in mind that even if he awakes from his coma, he may not be the same man you remembered."

"May is the key word, isn't it? There's a possibility that he will be like he was before."

"Right now the odds are against him but it's not up to me to decide the outcome." He placed a gentle hand on her arm. "Don't keep your hopes up too high."

She nodded dismally. "Can I go in and see him?"

"Allow the nurses to straighten things up in there and come back in about ten minutes."

She acknowledged and went back to Danny's room. She took a few seconds to compose herself before entering. She found Chin standing by Danny's bed, trying to keep him calm.

"They got him back," she announced as she made her way to Chin. "It took five shocks, but his heart's beating again."

"Thank God!" Chin sighed with relief.

"What did the doctor say?" Danny queried with a hint of fear in his voice. "And please, don't shield me, Kono. I need to know everything."

"He's still in a coma and Doctor Quinlan said that when or if he comes out of it, odds are he'll never be the same as he was before."

"Meaning brain damage?" Kono nodded dolefully to Danny's question.

"Well that remains to be seen," Chin chimed in. "This is Steve we're talking about. He's Superman."

Danny shut his eyes tightly together and forced himself to agree with Chin's statement, though deep down he knew Steve was human.

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

It was some time later that day when Danny rose from his nap. He licked his dry lips and searched the room for anyone keeping a vigil. He smiled when his sight rested on Rachel sitting in an arm chair, reading a magazine.

"Heyyyy," he breathed out, followed by a small cough.

She lifted her eyes from her reading and smiled. "Hey yourself." She stood, tossed the magazine on her chair and clasped Danny's hand. "How are you?"

"Weak. Weak and tired."

"That's to be expected but the doctor says you're doing fine, considering what you've been through."

"How are Grace and Charlie?"

"They're fine. Grace misses you and asked if she could come by and visit."

"Yeah I'd like that. What about Charlie?"

"He's ok."

"I'm sorry it'll take a bit longer for the bone marrow transplant."

"Daniel, you're alive and that's what counts."

He smiled lovingly at her and squeezed her hand. "Rachel I…," his voice broke at the thought of professing his feelings. Now may not be the proper time or the place to confide, though the longing in her eyes told a different story. Courage failed him and instead, he veered off subject. "Can I have some water?"

She obliged by pouring half a glass of cool water. She dunked a straw in it and placed it to Danny's lips. "Not too much or it'll make your sick."

"Thanks." She put the glass back on the table. "Where are Chin and Kono?"

"They're back at Five-0's offices. The governor called with a new case. They had no choice."

"Yeah Five-0 has other islands to police. As heartless as it may sound we can't stop doing our jobs just because one of us is down. Any news about Steve?"

"No change."

"I wanna go see him."

"Daniel, you can't."

"Got to knock some sense into him. He's giving us, I can sense it."

"He bore the brunt of the impact. His injuries are more severe than yours."

"That's never stopped him before. Could you go fetch Doctor Quinlan and ask him to come? I wanna talk to him about using the wheelchair to go see Steve."

"Daniel. I don't think…"

"Please," he beseeched with puppy-dog eyes.

How could she resist those fetching blue eyes of his? Was she falling for him all over again? She had to get a grip, at least for now. She grinned and tapped his hand in agreement. "Ok. I'll be right back. You stay put now. No heroics."

"I'll be good," he assured her, conveying his gratitude in a warm smile.

Rachel went to the nurses' station to inquire about Doctor Quinlan's whereabouts. The head nurse directed her to ICU, where she found him leaning over the comatose patient, checking the pupillary reflexes.

"How is he?" Rachel asked expectantly, hoping for good news.

The doctor fashioned a timid smile and shook his head. "Still the same. His other injuries are healing but his brain needs more time. He sustained a serious concussion but thankfully there's no bleeding and the swelling is down."

"That's good news, isn't it?"

"For now it's safe to assume his survival odds are greater than they were."

"His partner will be happy to hear that. Speaking of which, he would like to see you."

"Anything wrong?"

"No, he just wants to ask you something."

Quinlan flashed a knowing grin. ."I bet I know what it is. He wants to wheel himself down here."

"Yes. He's really worried that Steve is letting himself slip away. You see, those two are like brothers. We often say they're joined at the hip and…well… it helps when they are together."

"Well seeing how Commander McGarrett's condition has improved, I'll order that he be transferred to Detective Williams' room sometime today."

"Thank you, Doctor. I'll go tell Daniel. He'll be thrilled to hear that."

"I'm sure and perhaps that'll keep him in that bed."

Once Rachel was out the door, Quinlan turned to Steve and shook his head in disbelief. "And perhaps your partner will get through that thick skull of yours. You're halfway there so don't give up"

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

It was early evening when Kono came knocking on Chin's office door at Five-0 Headquarters. "Chin, you're ready to go?"

"Yeah," he sighed heavily. He shut off his laptop and stood.

"I called the hospital and they said they transferred Steve into Danny's room."

"That's great. It means he's doing better."

"The doctor's still concerned about his coma but is confident Danny will get through to him somehow."

"No doubt about that." As he made his way to the door, his iPhone phone rang. He pulled it out of his shirt pocket and glanced at the caller ID. "Huh I got to take this. Will you give me a minute?" he said undisturbed with his best poker face.

"Sure," she said a bit puzzled and closed the office door.

"What do you want?" Chin snapped.

"I hear McGarrett and Williams are still with us," Gabriel taunted.

"What did you expect?" Chin smirked.

"They're tough bastards alright. Lucky for me."

"What do you mean?"

"Well if they'd croaked I wouldn't have any leverage; whereas now…"

"I don't think they're in any condition to go on a killing spree, if that's what you got in mind," Chin sassed.

"They'll behave as long as you cooperate, Chin ole boy. I need something from you."

"A little early, isn't it?"

"Wanna get a head start."

From the bull pen Kono could see Chin was fuming mad, though she couldn't make out the words he was spitting over the phone. Minutes later he angrily pressed 'end' on his iPhone and exited his office in a composed gait.

"That was Gabriel, wasn't it?" Kono surmised.

"Yeah. Got to talk to Danny right away."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Gabriel said if I don't do what he asks of me, he'll use Danny to kill Steve."


	7. Chapter 7

"What?" she was shocked to say the least.

"Remember I told you about the hypnosis and how Gabriel had them rigged to react to a code word?"

"Chin you know as well as I do that no one can be conditioned to hurt someone close to them, and Danny and Steve couldn't be closer than if they were blood brothers."

"I know but the situation is different," he tried to reason.

"How so?"

"They're hurt and pumped up full of drugs. That could affect their judgement, in this case Danny's. No, we can't take any chances."

"What do you suggest we do?"

"Well we certainly can't keep Danny in restraint, that's for sure."

Chin's phone rang. He pulled it up and read the caller ID. He glanced up at Kono with a worried expression. "It's Rachel." Quickly he answered, "Yes Rachel (…) What? (…) When? (…) Ok me and Kono'll be right down." He ended the call and stared at Kono.

"What is it?" Kono asked expectantly.

"It's Steve. He's waking up."

Kono's face lit up. "My God! Let's go!"

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

They made it to the hospital in record time and headed straight for their friends' room where they found Doctor Quinlan leaning over Steve, trying hard to keep him awake by snapping his fingers and tapping his cheeks.

"What's happening?" Kono asked.

"He keeps nodding on and off. Doctor Quinlan is trying to keep him awake," Rachel said.

"Stubborn Neanderthal animal," Danny was heard mumbling from his bed. "Let me talk to him. I'll get him to stay awake," he said resolutely. "Get me that wheelchair over there, please," he asked to anyone willing to comply.

Chin looked to the doctor for approval. "Can he?" Upon Quinlan's hesitation, Chin insisted, "If anyone can get through to Commander McGarrett it's him," he said, nodding over to Danny.

"Alright, but just for a few minutes." He turned to Danny who was already sitting in his bed. "But if I see you turning color, that's it; back to bed. You understand?"

"Yes Doctor," Danny replied sheepishly. He wrapped his arms around Kono and Chin's shoulders who assisted him down in the wheelchair, heedful of the cast on his leg. Once settled they wheeled him over to the next bed, where the doctor vacated his spot to allow Danny to get close to Steve. He grabbed hold of his hand and squeezed tight. "Hey Steve! It's time to wake up. You slept long enough. Don't keep us waiting here. Come on, open those eyes." When Steve remained unresponsive, Danny tapped him on the arm. "Hey, I'm here and waiting, soldier."

Steve's nose crinkled.

"What? You don't like me calling you that?" Danny taunted. "Come on, say it!"

"Keep going, Detective. It's working," Quinlan encouraged as he checked the heart monitor for vital sign fluctuations.

"Come on, Superman. We're all here waiting for you to wake up." Danny squeezed Steve's hand when eyes began fluttering and twitching. "Come on, come on, open those eyes."

Following a gruelling minute, Steve finally pried open his eyes at a slit. Danny cheered inwardly but didn't cry victory just yet. "All the way up, buddy. I know it's hard but you can do it, soldier."

Steve groaned, making Danny laugh as he knew exactly how the word 'soldier' annoyed Steve; however it made him react, which was the result he was aiming for. "Look at me, Steve," Danny ordered and waited for his friend to acknowledge. "Welcome back. You gonna be alright."

Steve stared at Danny and frowned. "What's the matter? Steve? Do you know who I am?" Danny's heart thumped against his ribcage at his friend's silence. "Steve? Answer me, buddy. Nod if you recognize me."

All present in the room waited with bathed breath for Steve's response that never came. Doctor Quinlan leaned over the patient and checked the pupillary reflexes before taking over the questioning. "Commander McGarrett, look at me." Steve slowly turned his head toward the commanding voice and squinted. "I'm Doctor Quinlan. Do you know who you are?"

Steve blinked heavily as though the question didn't register.

"Oh God," Kono whispered to herself.

"Give him some time, folks. He just rose from a deep coma," Quinlan assured.

"So there's brain damage," Chin surmised from Steve's reaction.

"Let's not be hasty to jump to conclusions. We'll take him down for a CT scan to check for hemorrhages or lesions and we'll test his cognitive functions thoroughly before determining the extent of the damage."

"Steve," Danny made one last plea. Steve turned to him with a puzzled look. "It's me, Danny. Say you recognize me, please?" When the answer never came, Danny hung his head in despair. "No please, don't let it be so," he grieved. When he looked up, Steve was staring at him quizzically. "Why did you complain when I called you soldier, huh?" Again, a grunt. "Steve, talk to me! I'm Danno."

"I think that's enough for now," Quinlan said but Danny was adamant. He squeezed Steve's hand harder and leaned closer. "Come on say it…Danno. Hey Dog Face, say my name," he insulted on a commanding tone and an unyielding jaw. "Come on, Steve. SAY IT!"

"That's enough, Detective. I must insist you go back into your bed." The doctor motioned to Chin and Kono to wheel Danny back to his bed. The blond first griped but ultimately complied. Rachel tucked Danny in while Chin pulled the doctor aside.

"Seriously doctor, what's wrong with Steve?"

"I cannot pronounce myself until all test results are in but offhand I'd say it's amnesia."

"That's all," Chin said with some relief.

"As I said we need to wait for the test results."

"Can we stay with them?"

"Ok but try not to tire them. They may be off the critical list but they're still recovering and we want to keep them on that path."

"We understand."

"I'll be back shortly to take Commander McGarrett to MRI."

Once the doctor out of the room, Danny called out to Steve from his bed, "Hey babe, look at me." Steve responded to the request and turned toward Danny with a puzzled look. "Sorry I insulted you then but I just wanted to spur you on. Say something, anything."

"Ma…Malia," Steve murmured.

All look at each other, befuddled.

"What did you say?" Danny asked.

"Malia," Steve repeated without consciously understanding why he was uttering that name.

Chin approached him and said emotionally, "Steve, Malia's dead." He received a blank look. "Why are you saying her name and not Danny's?" Steve squished his eyes together as though the question troubled him. "Hey, you ok? Steve, what's wrong?"


	8. Chapter 8

"Rachel, help me into that chair."

"Daniel, no. You heard what the doctor said? You need your rest and so does Steve."

"He's on the verge of remembering something, Rach. We have to get it out of him now."

"Danny, we could make it worse," Chin said.

"Look at him, he's restless," Danny observed from Steve's body language.

"He's just confused, Danny," Kono reasoned. "We can see it in his eyes."

"Steve," Danny called out. "Say you remember me. Nod or something. Please, say it," Danny pleaded. A blank stare was his answer.

"Give him time, Danny."

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

During the wee hours of the night, only the beeping sound of the heart monitors could be heard as Steve, Danny and Chin, who had dozed off on the couch, were sound asleep.

Steve's eyes began fluttering underneath his eyelids. A nightmare had taken shape and was now tormenting him. The final moments of the crash danced before his eyes until the chopper hit the water. He started out of sleep screaming, waking the two occupants in the room.

Chin jumped to his feet and dashed to Steve's side. "Steve, calm down." Chin grabbed hold of both flailing arms and pinned them to the mattress. "It's Chin. Look at me, LOOK AT ME!"

An attending nurse breezed into the room. "What's going on?"

"Is Doctor Quinlan here?"

"No. He'll be here in the morning but I can reach him."

"I don't think it'll be necessary. I think Commander McGarrett is just having a nightmare but just in case, get a doctor in here."

"Right away."

"Dannnnny! Dannnny!" Steve called out, frantically searching the room.

"Hey Steve, I'm here," Danny called out from his bed, the light overhead shining on his creased features. "Hey babe, I'm here."

"Can't cont…control it. We're…we're gonna crash."

"STEVE!" Chin shouted, shaking him lightly. "Steve, wake up! WAKE UP!" He squeezed his jaw and forced him to look at him. "LOOK AT ME!" Steve blinked and began to settle down. "That's it. Ease down. You're safe," Chin soothed.

Steve moaned and grunted before uttering, "Malia."

"Why does he keep saying your wife's name?" Danny asked, baffled.

Chin shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "I don't know, Danny."

The night-shift attending physician and nurse entered the room. "Did he say anything?" the doctor asked as he walked up to the bed to shine his penlight into Steve's eyes.

"No, not really. He just started out of sleep, screaming. Obviously reliving the crash."

The doctor glanced up at the heart monitor. "I'll give him a light sedative. His heart and pulse rates are way too high."

"Nooooooooo," Steve drawled out, drifting in and out of reality. "Dannnny, Dannnny."

"Steve, I'm here!" Danny called out from his bed. "Chin, get me out of this bed, NOW! I need to go to him. I know I can calm him down."

Chin looked at the doctor for approval. "He needs to do this."

"Alright." Both men assisted Danny into the wheelchair and pushed him close to Steve's bed. Danny grabbed his friend's hand and squeezed. "Listen to me you Neanderthal animal." Getting no response, Danny pulled at the hand. "LISTEN TO ME! I'm Danny. Look at me! LOOK AT ME STEVE!" Again his efforts were fruitless so he tried another avenue. "Malia!" Steve instantly froze and stared at Danny. Again on a more soothing tone, Danny repeated, "Malia." All tension was released and Steve slowly closed his eyes.

"Who 's Malia?" the doctor queried.

"My late wife. For the life of me I can't understand why that name has such a powerful effect on him," Chin wondered, trying to find some logical explanation.

"He's asleep," the doctor observed from the monitor's stabilizing vitals.

"Is he going to be alright?" Danny asked.

"You'll need to ask Doctor Quinlan that question."

"He did say there was no bleeding or pressure inside the skull, which is good news but seeing how he doesn't seem to remember us…" Danny's voice trailed off at the possibility that Steve might not regain his memory. "Guess we should be thankful that he's alive."

"After what you both went through, it's a miracle you survived, let alone making a recovery. From what I was told your injuries were extensive and yet, here you are," the doctor marveled. "I'll you rest now. Have the nurse call me if you need anything."

"Thank you, Doctor." Once the doctor was out the door Chin stepped over to Danny's bed with a solemn look. "Danny, you ok if we talk?"

"Sure. What's the matter?"

"I know it's late and all but I need to ask you something and it's important."

"Go ahead."

"I know you said you don't recall much of what happened while you were kept in that dark room with Steve."

"That's right. It's all pretty fuzzy in my mind."

"I need you to focus on the man that was there in the room with you. You did say you saw one."

"Yeah but," Danny squinted as his mind roved back to that nightmarish place, "I couldn't say who it was until you told me it was Malia's brother, Gabriel."

"I need you to focus real hard and tell me if you remember anyone else in that room with Gabriel at anytime while you were in there. I know it's hard but it's very important."

"Why?"

"Because…" Chin faltered at the thought of telling Danny that he was a walking time bomb."Because Gabriel told me that you and Steve have been conditioned to respond to a trigger word that would set you both off on a killing spree."

"What?" Danny exclaimed in shock. He painfully elbowed himself up. "What are you talking about?"

"Danny, you and Steve were hypnotized. One word from Gabriel and …well… remember Jason Nash and how he went on a killing rampage for no reason at all?"

Danny nodded. "You mean?"

"That's what Gabriel told me would happen to you."

"But why?"

"Leverage, so I'd do what he asks, which is not to interference in his business among others. That's why I need you to concentrate and tell me anything you might remember. Some other person in the room, a word that was repeated over and over…anything that might help us find the code and remove it from your memories."

"Sorry Chin," Danny shook his head dejectedly. "My mind's a complete blank."

"Maybe in the morning when you'll be well rested."

"Yeah maybe." Danny settled into a lying position. "Besides Chin, someone has to give us the word. As long as we're here we don't have anything to worry about. I'm guessing one person's voice is what will prompt us to react."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Anyhow we'll discuss it further tomorrow. You get some rest now."

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

In mid afternoon the next day, Chin was keeping watch on the two patients in the sitting area. He'd brought overdue reports along to fill out while Steve slept and Danny watched the overhead TV, flipping channels in frustration at his inability to recall much of what transpired in that dark room. Lou was at Five-0 Headquarters working on the next case with Duke and his men, while Kono and Adam were planning a tentative new wedding date.

Unbeknownst to Chin that Steve's eyes were now wide open and staring puzzedly at Danny.

Sensing eyes on him, Danny turned his head toward Steve. He could see him squinting and flinching, obviously striving to recall the familiar face looking back at him. .

At that moment a bouncy Grace entered the room with Rachel. "Danno!" she bubbled over with cheer as she ran over to her father.

"Easy Grace!" Rachel warned. "Your father's still sore."

"That's alright," Danny assured and tapped the mattress next to him. "Jump up. I need a hug desperately." Grace obliged before turning to Steve. "Uncle Steve!"

Danny studied Steve's reaction to Grace. "Rachel, bring her over to him. Maybe it'll spark his memory."

Rachel clasped her daughter's hand and together they walked over to the next bed. Grace stepped on the small stool and leaned over Steve to place a kiss on his cheek before hugging him. "I'm so glad you're awake." She pulled back and frowned at the quizzical stare she received. "Uncle Steve, what's wrong?"

"He has trouble remembering us, Gracie," Danny said. "But don't worry he'll get his memory back real soon," he lied to reassured his worried daughter.

"Well, well, can anyone join this party?" a young doctor said cheerfully as he entered the room.

"The more the merrier," Danny said, then frowning at the name tag. "Doctor Anderson?"

"That's right. I work with Doctor Quinlan. He asked me to check on you both since he's tied up in surgery." He glanced up at Danny's heart monitor and jot down the numbers on the medical chart. "So how are you doing this afternoon?"

"Still a bit sore and my cast is a bother," Danny griped, making Grace chuckle at the tone, "but otherwise I'm good."

"Glad to hear. You are doing fine indeed. Doctor Quinlan has you scheduled for a battery of tests later this afternoon to assess your progress."

"How long will I need this cast on my leg?"

"According to your chart, a good three to four weeks."

Danny grunted.

"Danno, you're just like Uncle Steve," Grace observed from the similar whinge.

The doctor went to Steve and checked his vitals. Steve followed the man's every move with a wary eye. The young physician flashed him a smile, to which Steve responded with a deep frown.

"Well I'll leave you folks now. Doctor Quinlan should drop by later."

"Thank you, Doctor" Chin said before turning to Danny. "I'll go outside and call Lou; see if he has any new leads on the case."

Chin exited the room and smiled to the young doctor at the nurses' station. He watched Chin walked all the way to the exit before picking up a desk phone.

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

No sooner had Chin finished his call to Lou, that his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, frowning at the 'unlisted' on the screen. "Lieutenant Kelly."

"Have you given some thought to my request?"

"Yes and I've decided not to kowtow to your demand," Chin replied firmly, though with some lingering fear that he was tempting the devil.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, ol' chum. So sorry," Gabriel mocked.

"The contract is null and void because I didn't sign it with my full name and for that reason I can easily prove in court that I was coerced."

"Yeah I figured you might play that card but I still got an ace in my deck."

"I don't think you do. You see McGarrett and Williams are like brothers. You can't pit one against the other, ever, even under hypnosis. And besides, didn't you say they would respond to your voice only? Well you need to get close to them for that and by the time you figure a way, we'll have them defused."

"Oh you believe that, don't you?" Gabriel mocked. "Lemme set you straight; your friends will respond to two voices: mine and the person who rigged them and you have no idea who she or he is nor where that person will strike. So you see my friend, I still hold the winning hand. I'll give you another twenty-four hour to think it over." On that icy tone he hung up, leaving Chin stuck between a rock and a hard place.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Sorry about the wait. A friend of mine invited me on a two-week vacation. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing before her sister cancelled at the last minute. No laptop! Just fun at the beach!**_

It was early evening when Kamekona showed up with take-outs. He entered the room quietly, glancing at the sleeping figures on the beds; then made his way to Kono and Chin.

"I brought you some decent food."

"You're a Godsent, Kame," Kono enthused.

"You have spicy shrimps in there?" Chin guessed from the smell.

"You bet ya, brah." He placed the boxes on the table. "I brought some for Jersey in case the doc says it's ok."

"Heck yes the doc says it's ok," Danny chimed in from his bed.

"Hey, look who's awake!" Chin stood and walked over to Danny's bed. "How d'you feel?"

"Hungry."

"That's good but I don't think your stomach is ready for Kame's food."

"Just a bite, to get the taste to linger in my mouth. I'm sure it won't hurt," Danny whined.

"Not…good..for…you," the feeble voice mumbled from the next bed.

All heads turned toward Steve who stared at the group inquisitively.

"Steve!" Kono exulted, striding up to her boss' bed. "Welcome back!"

Steve closed his eyes heavily and nodded. When he opened them Chin was smiling down at him. "Wher…where am I?"

"In a hospital," Chin replied.

"You gave us quite a scare, boss," Kono said as she gave a friendly tap on his arm.

"How?" Steve asked, confused.

"Helicopter crash," Chin said, pausing to gauge Steve's reaction. "You don't remember?"

"You wrecked my chopper but it was for a mighty good cause," Kamekona jested.

"I'm sorry, I…" Steve shook his head dejectedly. "I just don't remember."

"But you remember us?" Kono asked expectantly. Steve nodded. "That's good. For a minute there we thought the amnesia was permanent."

"Was anyone else hurt?"

"Just you and Danny. We thought you were dead. We couldn't find you."

"Danny?"

"I'm right here, babe," Danny called from his bed. Chin and Kono parted to drive a wedge between them for Steve to take a peek at Danny.

"How bad?" Steve asked with concern.

"Like Humpty Dumpty but the pieces are fusing back together. About you? You feeling alright?"

"Just numb."

"No wonder with all the drugs they pumped into you to keep the pain at bay," Chin explained. Steve squished his eyes together, trying to recall bits and pieces in his muddled mind. "Perhaps that was an understatement."

"I'll go get the doctor?" Kono said worriedly before heading out the door.

"I'm ok. Just…trying to focus."

"What do you remember?" Chin probed.

"Not much. It's all a blur," the dazed patient mumbled out.

"But you do remember all of us?"

"Yeah." Steve looked up at Chin and Kamekona looking expectant. "What?"

"When you first came to, all you said was Malia's name and looked at us oddly as though you didn't know us."

"Sorry I...I don't remember. Why would I say her name?"

"We were hoping you could tell us."

"Sorry."

Doctor Quinlan made his entrance with Kono. "Well Commander, Miss Kalakaua here tells me you remember everyone?" He asked as he glanced up at the monitor to read the vitals.

"I think so."

"You think?"

"Well I...I know these people that's for sure."

"That's good." Quinlan leaned over and flashed his penlight into Steve's eyes to check the corneal reflexes. "Any aches or pain?"

"No. Just numb."

"It's better this way. You have some serious injuries that are still on the mend. However I must say you and your partner have made a remarkable recovery considering what you've been through."

"Steve, what about Malia?" Chin jumped in, receiving a puzzled stare in return. "You kept repeating her name."

"I'm sorry I don't have a clue." Steve shook his head.

"You were clinically dead for a few minutes, could it be that…" Chin's voice faltered at the inane possibility that his friend could have seen his wife in his delirium.

"I'm sorry, Chin" Steve could only offer with a dejected shake of the head.

"Folks, let's not beset him with questions just yet. It's good that his amnesia was only temporary, let's not push it."

"There was a man in the room. He looked at me and..."

"Who was it?" Chin asked.

"I don't know. I was really out of it."

"Beside Doctor Quinlan here and us there, the only two men who visited were the night intern and Doctor Anderson."

"Could be one of them. I just got a weird vibe off him."

"How so?"

Steve shook his head annoyingly. "That's just it, I don't know. I know you must be getting annoyed by my repeating it but …maybe when the drugs wear off I'll be able to think clearly."

Chin looked at Quinlan. "Can we do that?"

"That all depends on your tolerance to pain, Commander."

Danny was heard scoffing in the background. "Don't get him started."

"Danny, I need to remember. It could be important," Steve argued weakly, with eyes blinking heavily.

Chin turned to Quinlan and asked, "Doctor Anderson said he was your colleague."

"That's right. We've been working together for nearly five years. Reliable and one fine doctor," Quinlan replied. "Why are you asking?"

"No reason in particular. Just fishing for answers."

"Does anyone wanna know what I think?" Kamekona piped in. The room's attention shifted on him.

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"What are you doing?" Danny chided.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Steve replied as he tried hauling himself out of his bed. Two weeks had passed and on this day, Danny was being released but Doctor Quinlan was reluctant to allow Steve to follow suit.

"What did Doctor Quinlan say, huh?"

Steve huffed in annoyance. "He said I was fine. That my test results were good and that I could get out of here."

Danny pushed Steve down. "Unh unh, he said and I quote: You are getting there, the results were encouraging and that you had to stay in the hospital for another forty-eight hours."

"And I can vouch for that," Chin stated amusedly as he entered the room. "Rachel and Grace are outside. They'll be here in a few minutes."

"Thanks," Danny said , then turned to Steve with a steely look. "And YOU, stay right in that bed until Doctor Quinlan tells you it's ok to leave."

Steve crossed his arms against his chess. "Twenty-four hours," he bargained. "Not a minute more."

"Thirty-six," said the voice from behind Danny. "That's my final offer," Quinlan mocked as he stepped into the room with Doctor Anderson in tow. "Doctor Anderson here will fill in for me for the next two days. Family emergency. My mother broke her hip early this morning and I have to catch a plane to San Diego."

"Sorry to hear that," Danny sympathized. "I hope it's not too bad."

"According to her doctor it's not, but I want to be there nevertheless. Commander McGarrett I would appreciate if you didn't give Doctor Anderson any grief while I'm gone. I'll be in touch with him regularly to account for your progress and if your final tests are negative, he'll sign the discharged papers. How's that?"

"I can still walk out of here now. I'm telling you, I'm fine," Steve argued with his usual stance.

Silence ensued as Quinlan pondered the alternative. "Alright, I'll allow it this evening AFTER some tests and only if they are negative…" Steve's grin prompted the doctor to issue a warning, "IF, only if you have someone who can watch you for the next twenty-four hours."

Steve turned to Danny with an expectant look. "He can stay at my place."

"Alright then. I'll sign your release for five o'clock."

"Thank you," Steve said with great relief and turned to Danny with a thankful smile. "Thanks man."

"You're welcome, babe. Rachel and Grace will play nurses for us, so you'd better behave and not give them hell."

"I'll be a good boy."

"Doctor Anderson, may I see you for a minute?" Quinlan beckoned Anderson out of the room to give him instructions.

Danny then turned to Steve and laughed. "Wipe off that aneurysm face, babe. It's just another few hours. Believe me, it's better this way." He glanced at Chin on the other side.

Chin signed. "I hope so."

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

In mid afternoon, Steve was sitting in bed working on his laptop when Doctor Anderson enters. "You shouldn't be doing that," he scolded good-naturedly.

"I'm bored," Steve huffed out. "Are you here with the released papers?"

"Doctor Quinlan signed them for five o'clock and it's barely three."

"Come on Doc! You can't be serious as to argue over two hours?"

"I have my orders."

"What's holding me back here? All the test results are in. I'm fit as a fiddle," Steve insisted.

Anderson chuckled as he read the vitals on the monitor. "Is your partner around?"

"No. He said he'd be here around five."

"Since he's your ride, you need to wait."

"I can call him right away and he'll drive up to pick me up."

"Relax, Commander. If you want I could give you something to relax."

"No way! No drugs. I've had enough to last me a lifetime," Steve was quick to reply. He then returned his attention on the laptop screen sitting on the bed tray.

Anderson closed the medical chart and turned to Steve with a stoned face. "Commander McGarrett."

"Yeah," Steve answered without lifting his eyes off the screen."

"Malia has a message for you."

Steve froze. His fingers stopped dancing over the keyboard and he looked straight out.

"Do you remember her?" Anderson asked icily.

"Yes," Steve replied monotone.

"She knows her brother is out to kill your best friends, Danny and Chin. Now you don't want that, do you?"

"No."

"I will let you leave the hospital ahead of time so you can go take out Gabriel. You must stop him from ever hurting your friends."

"Yes."

"I will give you a gun and directions on where to find him and how to get to him without sounding the alarm. He'll probably be with his two bodyguards who are heavily armed. You'll need to proceed cautiously."

"No problem."

"Now go get dressed. I'll bring a wheelchair around and get you a taxi. Once the job's done, you'll call me from a pay phone and I'll pick you up. Malia will thank you for it."


	10. Chapter 10

_**This is the final chapter. Next time I'll stick to one-shot stories instead of multiple chapters. I found myself staring at a blank page more than once and that heat wave wasn't helping my inspiration.**_

 _ **I appreciate your sticking with me to the end!**_

Minutes later Doctor Anderson wheeled Steve out through the emergency entrance to an awaiting taxi and assisted him in the back seat. "Now remember what I said: get plenty of rest and if there's any question or problem, reach me on my cell phone."

Steve mechanically turned to Anderson and nodded. Anderson warily eyeballed the area one last time as the taxi drove away and then returned inside.

Jerry was parked across the parking lot. He picked up his cell. "He's on his way. Heading west on Punchbowl. I'll follow him."

"Jerry, don't get too close. We'll be right behind you. Call us when he gets to his destination." Chin replied. He ended the call and turned to Danny in the passenger seat. "This is it!"

"I'll notify Duke."

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Steve remained stoic during the drive to a mansion in a posh neighborhood of Honolulu. He got out of the car, paid the fare and waited for the taxi to drive away before pulling the gun out of his waistband. He surveyed the area before proceeding out back as Anderson instructed. Minutes later, Jerry pulled up a few feet from the mansion and reported to Danny and Chin, who in turned informed the cavalry.

Steve headed toward the pool, stopped, scoured the surroundings, after which he continued on to the back door. He took out a magnetic key, swiped it in the card reader by the door and punched in a code. The door clicked open and he slipped in.

He then headed to a basement door. Again, he swiped the card in the reader, entered a code and pushed the door open. Once inside he proceeded circumspectly down the stairs and followed the light at the end of a long corridor.

Outside, unmarked police cars converged to the scene, parking a few feet away from the area. Danny and Chin were first to arrive.

"Damn him! He went in by himself," Danny cursed. "Why can't this Neanderthal animal learn the meaning of back-up?"

"Steve knows what he's doing," Chin appeased. "Beside we have his back." He turned to Duke he saw hurrying toward him. "He's in there. We've got to stay out of sight just in case Anderson might be watching."

"Anderson's back at the hospital; least that's where he was when I left," Jerry said.

"One of his moles might be watching."

"Even if he reports us to him, Anderson's trapped," Danny said. "We have the tape to prove he's the guy who set Steve out to kill Gabriel. And we know Gabriel's in there. He's in our noose as well." Danny pulled out his gun and checked the magazine for bullets.

"What are you doing?" Chin asked, curious.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Danny replied sarcastically as he poised himself ready to raid the mansion.

"Let us handle it, Danny."

"No way! I'm going with you," Danny insisted.

"You're not strong eno…"

"The hell I'm not!" Danny snapped. "Come on now, what are we waiting for?"

Inside the mansion, Steve neared his goal. He peeked inside the room where he saw Gabriel and two bulky bodyguards counting the bags of fine white powder. Oh how he craved to leap in and take them all down but he needed to hold back his eagerness. He looked down at the small weapon in his hand; the odds were against him.

Closing his eyes, he conceded that he needed back-up for this raid for it to be successful. He retraced his steps, careful not to make any noise and headed back up to the main floor. He signaled Danny he saw approaching the back door. He opened it.

"What took you so long?" he ribbed.

"Did you take him out?"

"No, he's not alone. He's got two thugs with him. I couldn't risk it without backup."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Danny asked in surprise.

"Yeah, why?"

"You actually waited for back-up," Danny ribbed, getting Chin to chuckle and Steve to glare at him.

"Will you shut up and get ready?" Steve mocked back.

"Love ya all the same, you jackass!"

"Right back at ya, knucklehead."

Danny secured his gun and stuffed it in his belt. He adjusted his jacket over it to cover it from view. He and Steve glanced at each other and nodded before proceeding to the basement door.

When they reached the room in question, they walked in casually. "Malia told us to meet you here," Danny said robotically.

The two thugs swirled around and thrust their guns at the two partners. Gabriel quickly beckoned them to lower their weapons. "Easy fellows; they're friends of ours. But just in case, go check outside."

The two hulks obeyed orders and exited the room. Gabriel waited until they were both out of earshot before exposing his plans to his two seemingly puppets. "I have a job for you two."

"We're ready," Steve replied with his best poker face.

"I have an important shipment's that due out tonight. I'm commandeering your truck, Commander. You and your buddy here will drive to the location I'll give you and transfer the goods. If you should run into a snag, you shoot on sight. No witness. Understood?"

Both Steve and Danny nodded. Gabriel stepped up to them and handed two cyanide capsules. "These are in case you fail at your task."

"We won't," Danny replied, grinning at Steve. Gabriel frowned and became slightly suspicious at the knowing look passing between the two friends. "Because we've already succeeded."

Before Gabriel could reach for his gun, Steve and Danny whip out theirs and thrust them at Gabriel. "Freeze right there, Gabriel. Danny, get his phone." While Steve kept his weapon trained on Gabriel, Danny grabbed Gabriel's burner phone; then grabbed his and dialed. "Yeah. We got him."

"We've got his goons too," Chin said as he glanced over at the two cuffed thugs being taken to the back of an unmarked police cruiser. "We're coming in."

"Alright."

As Danny hung up, he felt an arm snake around his neck. Out of the blue a third hulk rose from the shadows and held Danny in a chokehold. He grabbed his wrist and twisted it until Danny release the gun with a scream.

"You'd better drop that Commander," Gabriel sneered. "Or next time it'll be your partner's neck Angus will crack."

Steve looked at a gasping Danny holding his broken wrist to his chest while clawing at the thug's arm around his neck. Slowly he lowered his gun and placed it onto the floor.

Soon, the cavalry erupted in the room and instantly froze at the scene before them.

"I wouldn't fire if I was you," Gabriel warned composedly with a gun trained at Steve's head. One move and these two are gone."

"Gabriel, it's over," Chin said confidently.

"Not by a long shot."

"You kill them and you and your goon here are next," Chin threatened.

"I know but McGarrett and Williams will be first. Tell me, how did you manage to defuse them?"

"Steve kept repeating Malia's name over and over in his delirium. Kamekona here figured out what it meant."

"And Doctor Anderson has already be arrested as accessory," Kono informed.

Out of the corner of his eye, Steve could see Kamekona inching toward the guard holding Danny. In a lightning bolt, Kame lunged at both Danny and Angus and pinned them to the floor. Steve instantly bent down to dodge Gabriel's bullet and pounced on him, rendering him unconscious in a stranglehold.

No sooner had Gabriel crumbled to the floor unconscious than Steve dove to his knees beside Danny. "Danny…Danny you ok?" He gave his partner a quick once-over to assess injuries. When he grabbed the wrist, Danny cried out. "Sorry. I think it's just sprained."

"Yeah?" Danny hissed. "Feels a lot worse than that. Least that's not my neck."

Steve let out a nervous chuckle and assisted Danny to his feet. "You ok?"

"Yeah, yeah I am," he turned to Kamekona with an appreciative smile, "thanks to the Big Guy here."

"Glad to help, Jersey." He turned to Duke and his men. "Need some help with that?" he said referring to the thugs being hauled away.

"No thanks. We got them. You take care of Steve and Danny."

Chin and Kono both helped Danny out of the room while Kame went to Steve who firmly refused any help.

"Kamekona I'm fine!" Steve argued. Barely had the words come out of his mouth when a sudden dizzy spell sent his world spinning. Kamekona was quick to grab hold of him before he hit the floor.

"Sure you are," Kamekona replied sarcastically. "Now you either help me help you out of I throw you over my shoulder. What's it gonna be?"

The warning look in Kame's eyes was enough to make Steve comply. He nodded and leaned on his bulky friend for support.

 _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

A few days later both Steve and Danny were given a clean bill of health. Danny's wrist was still impaired and he grudgingly agreed to wear the sling, even though it hampered his movements and insisted he was fine. He had temporarily moved into Steve's house so that they would both keep a watchful eye on each other and scold one if the other went out of line. Chin and Kono would often visit to ensure the two friends were following doctor's orders. Their bickering and bantering was music to their ears, a sound they feared would never be heard again.


End file.
